What is ReActing by Heart?
The Safety Net Under Your Audition -
Have you ever gone into an audition thinking that you have your lines memorized, only to get nervous and make a mistake? Memorization can unintentionally lock you into a stale delivery or leave you flustered if you accidentally forget a line. ReActing By Heart is a technique that will teach you how to know your lines "by heart" rather than memorizing them. With this technique, you’ll also discover how to use your sides in an audition (when necessary) while staying in character so that you don't have to depend on memorizing lines, nor take valuable time from the real preparation that actors should be doings. Learn the secret to organic line delivery; learn your lines "by heart" - not by rote.
How to Deliver a Truthful, Deep Performance
What does the camera hate? — Acting not grounded in images, aka “Schmacting.” Conversely, what does the camera love? — Reacting to ideas & images (behavior).
While the script gives you WHAT to say, the technique you’ll be learning in ReActing by Heart will help you discover HOW to say what the script gives you. During the workshop, we’ll be doing an exercise to help you feel what it means to be in the moment and lay the groundwork that brings impulses and intention to your delivery. At first, the exercise may feel quite technical, but after you allow yourself to feel safe, you will notice that your body and mind start to listen and automatically respond to your scene partner in a truthfully organic way.
ReActing by Heart is designed to be a prerequisite to Auditioning by Heart. Both classes work together to better ingrain and implement an approach to the work that will take your auditions from a place of “pretend” to a place of “experiencing.”
The Science of ReActing by Heart
Every scene in a script is really just a conversation.
One study at UCLA indicated that up to 93% of communication effectiveness is determined by nonverbal cues. Yet, some actors have their faces buried in their scripts during their auditions.
If your eyes are down and looking at your sides at the wrong time, how can you give or receive the nonverbal cues that are impertinent to effective communication? How can you feel the relationship grow or diminish as you struggle to win your point? — You can’t. The exercise you’ll be working on in ReActing by Heart is about being off the page and available for the twists and turns.. the feelings and thoughts.. the entire ride that occurs moment-to-moment as a conversation comes to life.
The red parts in the picture are the “feeling brain”, the “thinking brain” is colored blue.
ACT is the root word of actor and action for a reason.
If Acting is ReActing, and ReActing shows up as an automatic action that is out of your control, then by definition, you CAN’T act. You must do your homework to set up the world, but then Acting happens to you. ReActing by Heart is an exercise in the truth of acting, and how it is about the actions caused by thoughts and feelings that show up on your face and body.